…a boomer muses about life, change, joys, sorrows and freedom from the prison of corporate life.

Six Word Memoirs

Brevity is in. And there is a trend now to tell stories, write letters or pen an autobiography using only six words. Legend has it that Hemingway was once asked to write a story in only six words. He submitted: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Pretty good, huh? The Kansas City Star, inspired by a new book, It All Changed In An Instant, recently challenged its readers to submit six-word memoirs. The results were a surprising mix of joyful, funny, touching and poignant.

It’s amazing how so few words can say so much. Although several of the above could apply to me, I wanted to try my hand at writing a few. This first is true for me, but maybe a bit mundane. “Every day is a cherished gift.”

This second stemmed from past pain: “Betrayed, but never lost my faith.” And, along this same line: “Hard knocks just make me tougher.”

But I think this last one makes me happiest: “Beloved friends became my true family.”

So, are you up to trying it? Come on! It’s a good mental exercise! Write me a six-word memoir reflecting your life or philosophy of life. I’ll be checking back on the comments regularly to see what you come up with. Pretty please? I showed you mine, now show me yours! I promise to respond to all of them. Get that pen out!

Actually, there is another book, “Not Quite What I Was Planning, Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure” that I happened across in June ’08. I was blown away by how cool and clever most of it was. (Some was soberly sad.)

thanks for ideas on my own memooir for a school project. my abosolute favorite is blissed-out grandma’s “six words is never enough for”
awsome b/c it leaves you wondering :):)
some i made are:
1) life is precious. don’t waste it!
2) Best friends make life worth it.
3) i asked. they answered. i wrote. –this is from a book–
4) life isn’t memories; it is NOW. this is my other favorite
thanks again